Entwine
by Esah
Summary: When Apprentice Mage Sasuke tries to link his mind with his bond-animal's, something goes horribly wrong. Instead of bonding to the animal, Sasuke's mind is flung suddenly elsewhere, and I bet you can guess where it went. AU NaruSasu.
1. Flight

"Your task is simple. Reach out your mind, in the way that I have taught you, and seek that of a nearby animal." The Head Mage gestured minutely, looking at the pupil who sat at his feet by the hearth. The fire in it was a fresh light green. "This animal need only be within the confines of the city walls, as you are able to extend your reach that far. No more is needed. Once you have gently connected your mind to the animal, you should be able to hear it's thoughts."

"And once that is done, we will be bonded to one another?" The Apprentice queried, looking away from the fire, and up into the face of his Master, "Eternally?"

"Yes. As is the way of those who enter the Mages' Guild. The animal that your mind will drift toward will be the most suited to your personality and your being." Upon saying this, a small field mouse appeared on the mans shoulder, poking it's tiny head past the fall of dark hair and sniffing the air curiously, "Fie here is a timid little thing. He likes not the hustle and bustle of a crowd. Nor is he fond of dogs or large felines. Such as I am. It will be the same for you and your bond beast once you have found it."

Sasuke looked thoughtful. In truth, he had never truly been sure of his own personality, and was not very sure that any one animal would fit it completely. But his Master was seldom incorrect, and knew Sasuke as intimately as a father would a favourite son. He would know best. If he believed that Sasuke was ready, then Sasuke was undoubtedly ready. He was just having a little trouble believing that himself.

"So I must reach out and hook my mind partially into whichever animal my mind discovers for me?"

"Yes."

"Well, here I go then."

Reaching out required an immense amount of concentration. Closing his eyes, Sasuke centred his mind. To do so, he must empty his mind of all thought. Months had been spent in preparation for this moment, months in which he had worked tirelessly in order to perfect this talent. This task could only be performed once. And he was absolutely not going to ruin it with an idle thought or any other distraction.

His mind free of thought, Sasuke found his mind hook easily, as though it had merely been hanging on a wall close by. In some way, it had been. But now he was going to hold it with his mind, with his being, and travel with it in search of an animal companion.

Over the rooftops he soared, swift as a lightening flash, and silent as a hunting wolf. Over the Noble's Guild and that of the Carpenters'. Rapidly he passed over the dreary Miscreant Workers' Guild. Many more sections of the city were travelled over, but Sasuke wouldn't remember any of this. He would only recall the moment upon reaching his bond beast and merging with it. The way there was inconsequential to a mind that had freed itself of all thought.

The destination was quickly reached, and in a breath of fresh air, soft and refreshing, he had reached the future companion of his life and magic.

A small, black cat, huddled in front of an orange glowing hearth, it's small white front paws rested under it's chin while it slept. The back paws were white to match. Dozing, dreaming, peaceful and waking up. After stretching gracefully, he lifted a small white paw daintily to his mouth, and in an action that seemed to the hovering Sasuke-mind to be rather languorous, lifted his eyes to stare directly at him as he licked his paw to free a small piece of grass that had stuck there from earlier frolicking during the day.

If Sasuke could have grinned in his body-less form, he absolutely would have. He was perfect, this small being. Small but strong and lithe. Dark in features but also light. Intelligent and resourceful. All such as Sasuke was, and could see himself as now, reflected in this tiny animals' eyes.

He reached his hook gently out, and prepared to join minds with the cat. A silken brush, gentle and unhurried. Finnean. He had named himself Finnean, while his owner had named him-

But something was happening, abruptly and noisily. A shout, from the next room. Something crashing to the floor. Doors flinging open and the sounds of somebody fleeing and another in pursuit. It was headed directly for Sasuke. And towards Finnean.

The small animal reacted on instinct. Leaping up onto the mantle, he hid behind a small vase perched there, unwilling to leave the presence that had made his mind feel warm and fuzzy, like an afternoon nap after a large and satisfying meal. Sasuke. He did not want to leave him.

Sasuke himself was frantic, losing control on his mind hold, the hook he had been carrying swinging around crazily, threatening to drop. A figure burst into the room, tall and dark, and whirled to face the intruder.

Blond. Sasuke had only time enough to register this small fact before his world turned upside down.

Needles were flying toward the tall man, Finnean's owner. The man moved as if to dive out of the way. Something smashed.

Sasuke knew no more.

When he came to, it was to a startling realisation and a blinding pain.

He was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, with absolutely no idea as to how he had been doing it while unconscious. And with no inkling as to where he was. And something in his mind was _hurting_, a sharp, encompassing pain such that he had never felt before.

His mind ran through the obvious questions: why was he moving, _how _was he moving, why did it hurt so much and generally what the hell was going on.

Briefly and quickly deciding that he had somehow gone considerably insane, Sasuke stopped jumping.

Sasuke _tried _to stop jumping.

His body would not heed his minds' commands. He bounded on.

Greatly alarmed, Sasuke came to the conclusion that somebody must be controlling his body with evil magic. Or something. How it was happening was not the issue: stopping it from happening was.

He shouted at his body, the magical word that ceased any and all spells that may have been in effect at the time and place of saying it. The word has no comparison in his every day tongue, and cannot be written down.

Instead, shocking him to the core, his shout was articulated within his mind as a deafening roar. And out of his mouth emerged a scream that was definitely _not _expressed in his voice. Sasuke had a moment to think wryly, well at least my body has stopped.

In fact, his body was doing a little more than simply stopping. Somehow, it had crouched on the edge of the roof that it had been about to spring from. A strong, tan hand reached down to grip the small stone wall that acted as a balustrade, steadying his body.

A strong, tan hand.

Slowly, Sasuke forced the panic down. He couldn't stop his frantic thoughts, however: This hand is not mine, mine are long and pale. My arm is not as strong as this that I am seeing. And I am certain that my nails are far better looked after.

There had to be another arm on his body. Somebody else's. Some twisted magic, interfering with his own, had caused this. There was no other explanation.

"…Maybe there is."

Another, stronger wave of panic was rushing swiftly towards the young mage, and almost consumed him before he could push it back. The foreign voice had spoken again, and out of his mouth.

"No, not your mouth. This is my mouth."

But there had to be a mistake, this was his body, his-

"No. _My _body."

_Then where in the name of Merlin is mine?!_

Somewhere off to his left, he sensed a pang of confusion that matched his own. It was not quite familiar or close enough to be considered being a feeling that he had felt. He assumed that it was this…person's…feeling.

"Damn right it is! Aren't you confused? What the fuck are you doing in my mind?!"

He didn't know, he just did not know. The last thing that he recalled had been a crashing sound, right after the intruder had leapt at the owner of-

Finnean.

A deep and heady wave of pain and grief assailed his senses, and Sasuke could think no more beyond it. Finnean. The cat was gone. The small, beautiful creature had died. His bond beast. After a long, long moment, he was able to think, What was he to do now? He was useless as a Mage, now. Only one chance did a Mage receive to bond to their chosen animal. And now his magic would flow erratically and unreliably, without his beast to steady it.

"A cat?"

Sasuke did not answer. He didn't need to anyway. He had a suspicion that whoever this was would be able to sense his emotions as clearly as Sasuke had sensed the others' confusion.

Who was this person? Strong and tanned, was all he knew. Deep, charismatic voice. Cramping leg.

_How am I able to feel that too? _Sasuke thought at the person, mind voice tinged with annoyance, _Move your leg before you pull something!_

"Oh, so-rry, mister stick up his arse. I'd unfairly presumed that I was permitted to move my own body in whichever way I damn well pleased. Excuse my insolence."

Sasuke paused, and realised that he was being unco-operative, unfair and unproductive.

"Un, un, un. You remind me of a friend of mine. Won't stop saying that damn thing."

…_I'm sorry._

"Oh, I know you are, I can feel it." The voice said kindly, "No need for that. Listen, I'm sorry about the cat. I didn't realise that it was your bond beast, or anybody's bond beast. Hell, I didn't even know it was _there_. God damn thing just jumped in the way and-"

_**YOU**__ KILLED FINNEAN?!_

"It just jumped in the way! It didn't even jump in front of anything, it just did it. Must have been frightened, poor thing." The voice was defensive and remorseful. Sasuke sensed deep regret somewhere off to his left.

"Fucking Uchiha, it's all his fault."

Sasuke started. Did this guy know who he was?

Confusion. "Who _you _are? What? No. What are you talking about?"

_I am Uchiha Sasuke._

A long, weighty pause.

"Fuck."

What? What was this man's problem? Sasuke was the one stuck in his damn body! For all he knew, his own could be going cold back in Mage's Guild, and his Master would be, for lack of a better phrase, completely freaking out. And why did this guy swear so much?

"Listen. Sasuke, right?" The voice was cautious, tentative, "The Uchiha I'm talking about is a man by the name of Itachi."

_My brother?_

"Sasuke, I'm so sorry…"

_What? What are you saying? What's so important about my brother?_

A sharp feeling of shame, twined with apprehension.

"He is the man that I was sent to kill."


	2. Setting off

_You were sent to kill my brother? Why? By who? Who the hell are you?_

"I was." Regretful, the voice sighed, "I'm Apprenticed to the Rogue's Guild."

Sasuke waited. The man didn't answer his silent query. So he formed his thoughts into words, hoping for an answer.

_Your motive?_

"I don't have one. My Master sent me to do this, as a final test. An initiation into the Guild." He paused, "I've been training for months…this would conclude my studies."

He understood that, really he did. Even the obscure reasons that some had for sending a Rogue out to kill certain persons of the city. But, his brother? Itachi was merely a businessman. He was an honest one at that, as well. Lately he had been doing well in his business, trading with some newly arrived sailors for silks and wines to flow into the Merchant's Guild so that the city could prosper. What would anybody have against a person who acted in all the best interests of the city?

"That's exactly why I was sent to kill him."

_What do you mean?_

"He was doing well. My master didn't like that."

_Why?_

Irritation, "I don't know, why don't you ask the fucking man yourself?"

_Because in case you haven't been able to look past your vast stupidity, I presently do not have a body!_

The man paused. Sasuke mentally smirked. Before he remembered that this man had been attempting to kill his brother.

"This man, this guy, blah, blah, fucking blah!" The voice crowed, "I have a name! And it's none of my business and not within my rights to question the motives of my employers! I'm sorry it was your brother, but at least I'm crap enough at my job that the man didn't even die!"

_What is your name?_ Sasuke ignored the other statements that the man had made, they were now unimportant. He had formed a plan out of an errant idea, and he'd be damned if it didn't work. Of course, he didn't think this lest the man hear his thoughts, but kept them light as cotton and untraceable.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto. He liked it. And now he would begin.

"Begin? Begin what?"

Sasuke ignored Naruto in order to form the words that he needed.

Sharp spikes of thoughts formed them, and his spell went as so.

_Uzumaki Naruto_

_In knowing your true name_

_I have you in my Mage's hold_

_And I shall be obeyed._

"What the fuck? What the fuck was that?"

_Stand._

Naruto stood, quick as a bolt of lightening, in a motion that jolted him. Sasuke sensed acute bewilderment and shock. He didn't care. He was going to find his body.

"You could have just asked! Holy fu-!"

_Jump to the roof over there._

And jump they did. Sasuke held back a wave of nausea from being temporarily so high off the ground and with nothing underneath him.

"Yeah well you should fucking feel nauseous for the rest of your fucking like, you dirty bastard!" Naruto whined, "Let me go! Lift your spell or whatever it was!"

_You willingly told me your true name, Naruto. You walked directly into this._

"How was I supposed to know that?" Vehemence, "Sasuke, whoever the fuck you are, undo this now!"

But he couldn't. He needed to find his body before it stiffened beyond recovery. He trusted his Master to keep it enchanted against that for at least twenty four hours, but if they didn't make it back before then…If Naruto caused trouble…

"As if I would! Like hell I want you trapped in my mind for the rest of my life!"

How had he gotten here in the first place? Sasuke strained to remember, but could not. He had become unconscious, and could recall nothing apart from immense confusion.

"Yeah, well. If you're nice to me, I'll try to figure it out with you."

He would be.

_I will be._

"And there's no need to say it twice."

Sasuke ignored him. What was the last thing that he could remember? The room, Itachi facing Naruto and Finnean hiding behind a vase on the mantelpiece above the hearth. Needles, flying toward his brother. The sound of something smashing. And then nothing.

"That was the vase. The cat pushed it out of the way to jump. That's when…well." Naruto cleared his throat. It felt strange to Sasuke to feel this happening, but not having done it himself. "I chased Itachi into that room. I flung needles at him. He dove out of the way and jumped straight out the window. The cat jumped as he did, for no reason I could see. Then my target was gone, probably dead on the pavement below, and I didn't think I should stay there. So I ran off. On the way out, I saw your brother entering a building across the road. How he got down to the pavement off the third floor, having leaped out of a window, I don't know."

I had been forming a mind bond with Finnean. Sasuke braced himself as the wave of grief ran over him once more. He remembered wordlessly, knowing the Apprentice Rogue could understand. He hadn't known what was happening. He had heard noises from another room nearby. When the two people had flung themselves into the room, the cat had quickly hidden. His concentration had already been strenuous and then had been strained by the intrusion. He had been having difficulty holding on, but his mind had already been slightly linked with the cat's. Naruto had thrown the deadly needles, Itachi had braced himself as if to dodge, and Sasuke had known nothing beyond that.

"Well, you got me. I have no idea."

_So much for your amazing insights._

"Well shut up, you don't know either!"

Actually, he thought that he just might. In answer to the silent query Naruto promptly expressed, Sasuke went through his conclusions.

As his mind had been hovering and in need of a place to anchor itself, it had leaped toward the obvious and intended candidate for it. But the cat had perished from the blow of stray needle. Sasuke's mind had then most likely been catapulted into such a state of heightened confusion that it had flung him into unconsciousness. Since Itachi had thrown himself out of the window and out of reach, the next available host for Sasuke's befuddled mind had been Naruto, and had acted accordingly in attaching itself to the young Rogue. And here Sasuke was, stuck within Naruto's mind and body and knowing not how to remedy the situation.

"You know, that doesn't sound like it could be too wrong." Naruto appraised him, in his own- in Sasuke's opinion- demented way, "That's probably something like what happened. But I didn't feel anything of you until you shouted whatever the fuck that was into my brain."

_It is a word that is the raw essence of cessation. Basically. _

"Well, that would be a fabulous explanation, if I had any idea what the fuck it meant."

_You really enjoy cursing, don't you? _

"You know what? I'm going to ignore you now. I'm going to ignore you, and you're going to whine like a little girl, and I'm not going to fucking care!"

And with that, Naruto stepped to the edge of the roof and leapt off, landing on the next roof over in a graceful tumble before setting off once more to the next roof.

And Sasuke was _not_ going to whine. At least, not like a little girl.


	3. The Merchant's Guild

The Merchant's Guild looked different from Naruto's eyes. Sasuke figured that it was due to Naruto being a couple of inches shorter than him. Of course, Naruto wasn't having any of that.

"As if you're taller than me!" He tried to mumble as he looked at the scents on display, the Merchant who owned the stall keeping a watchful eye on him, "Is this pepper? It's burning my eyes..."

The Merchant looked stonily at the blond before shaking his head sharply. "It is cinnamon and paprika."

Naruto looked at the man quizzically, "Why would you mix those? Aren't they used for cooking, anyway?"

_I don't see why we are standing here arguing about spices, _Sasuke grated,_ when we should be hurrying to my body._

"Shouldn't you be selling scents here?" Naruto picked up a different sample, taking a cautious sniff, "Selling spices is for the Spice Merchants..."

"Certain spices are used for scent," The Merchant replied.

"This one smells like oranges," he held the small jar to his nose again, smelling the liquid inside, "And flowers."

_Naruto, why have we stopped? Focus!_

While the Merchant was explaining just what the scent was, and where it came from, Naruto took the opportunity to reply to Sasuke without looking strange.

"We're being followed."

_Is it Itachi?_

"Why would your brother follow me?" Naruto whispered, "I'm supposed to kill him!"

_Well,_ Sasuke said cautiously, _who could be following you?_

"Any number of people- Ah, yes, and the floral scent compliments the orange?" Naruto replied to the Merchant, and Sasuke was impressed by the Rogue's ability to listen to both himself and the Merchant, "I'm known for being a bit of a prankster."

_I'd never have believed it._

Ignoring the comment, Naruto thought for a moment. Sasuke could feel him thinking and it was a strange sensation, feeling the thoughts flitting about, being snatched up and disregarded faster than he could follow. He wondered briefly if this was what it would have been like to be bonded to an animal. Though obviously no animals mind would be the calibre of a human beings.

Sasuke heard what Naruto was thinking before he said it- which brought about the idea that perhaps Naruto didn't need to speak aloud for Sasuke to be able to communicate with him, but that thought needed to wait for now-

_Your master has enemies._

-A few.-

Naruto's thoughts, being so directed and clear, were very strange to Sasuke. When Naruto had come to this conclusion, Sasuke had felt it settle into his conciousness almost immediately. It had felt almost as if a sun warmed blanket had been draped around him.

_And one of these could have sent people to follow you?_

"No," Naruto said, to both the Merchant and to Sasuke, and while he continued his sentence to the Merchant aloud- "This one makes my eyes feel funny, does it have honey in it? I'm allergic,"- he continued what he was saying to Sasuke in his mind,

-Not to follow me. To kill me.-

Sasuke didn't answer. He was in over his head. He was the apprentice of a Magician, for Merlin's sake! He wasn't used to all of this...brutality.

-Brutality? You think that I'm brutal?-

_I think that this situation inspires an air of brutality._

-I think you're a dick.-

Sasuke huffed-well, as much as a...whatever he was, could huff- and didn't reply. He was sick of this flesh cage, he wanted his own body. It was disconcerting, not being able to use his own body, being able to hear another persons thoughts, to know them so intimately. _To be stuck in their mind_.

He was monumentally worried about his dying body.

-You are not the only one. I don't want you invading me any more than you want it.- Naruto's thoughts were curt and insistent, -Right now though, we are being targeted. And I would like to get out of here as soon as we can manage it.-

_Well then stop smelling spices and get moving!_

Sasuke felt the blond agreeing with him- _Finally! -_ and then, after a friendly "I think I'll come back another day when I have money!" to the Merchant, they were off, Naruto's strong legs taking them sprinting towards the nearest wall, and then they were running up it and Sasuke didn't have the chance to brace himself before they were on the roof, running and running and running.

And then Sasuke found himself looking up at the sky, something digging into his lower back, and was almost relieved before he remembered that this was not his body and that they should not be lying down right now.

_Naruto! _He tried to reach the Rogue, but could not. Nobody answered his panicked thoughts.

Naruto wasn't there right now, and Sasuke was beginning to panic.

Before he could figure out just what had happened, however, a flash of silver caught his eye. He barely rolled over enough for it to miss his- Naruto's- head. He briefly flipped out over the fact that _he _had moved Naruto's body, that _he _was, somehow, in control at the moment-and where the hell was Naruto?- but didn't have time to think about anything other than bouncing to his feet and spinning to face his attacker.

The first thing he saw when he stood was the faint outline of the Royal Palace, and the first thing he smelt was blood. He felt no pain, and forced himself to calm down, to survey the surroundings. Look for enemies. It was a reaction and an action foreign to his body, to his way of thinking, but then again; this was not _his _body. Somewhere in the back of his conciousness, he knew that he was freaking the hell out. But Naruto's body had taken control, and Sasuke didn't bother stopping to find out how or why.

The offender was to his left, standing on the edge of the roof, and in the two seconds that Sasuke had been racing through his thoughts, she had pulled out three throwing knives. Naruto's body was already diving for cover now, but Sasuke's mind froze and interrupted the action. He fell to the ground, looking up in terror and his mind screamed for Naruto.

The woman let the knives fly.

Sasuke sat there and was dimly aware that he was screaming through Naruto's mouth, despising his own cowardice. And then he saw the woman tumble off the edge of the roof, and heard the knives fall into his lap from where they had been, centimetres away from his head and his heart.

Sasuke fainted and Naruto woke with a jolt.

Not understanding what had happened, wondering why he couldn't sense Sasuke, and picking up the weapons he had suddenly found in his lap, Naruto refrained from working himself into a state and bounded down from the rooftop and back into the crowded street.

There was a woman lying on the ground, her neck snapped. Recognising her and knowing that he probably had something to do with her death, Naruto ducked down an alleyway and threw his hood up. If he lost himself in the Spice Merchant's Guild, his Master's enemies would lose his scent.


End file.
